Chapter 14: Reaching The Bottom

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Prue as Phoebe walked towards the manor door, car keys in hand.

"To get Cole back here." Phoebe called over her shoulder, "If I'm right about what I saw in his eyes, he'll go to the mausoleum."

"And what if you're wrong?" questioned Prue gently.

"Well, then he'll be back here with his buddy to get the amulet." cut in Piper sardonically.

Phoebe turned back to face her sisters, "I'm not wrong. Cole's not the enemy." she tried to assure her sisters, "He's the victim. And I'm gonna save him."

Phoebe's P.O.V

I was gonna save him. I was gonna save him because I loved him and I knew he loved me and I knew he wasn't evil. He was just in danger and he didn't need people doubting his loyalty when he was trying to help us. I know my sisters didn't totally trust Cole, and I couldn't blame them; but hopefully they trusted me enough to trust me about Cole. I wasn't going to let Cole down. I was going to save him.

"How could you have failed?" demanded Raynor, "It was just one little witch."

Cole shook his head. "No, it wasn't. The Charmed Ones were there, just like I warned you they might be."

"We could have taken them." contradicted Tarkin, with a dark look at Cole.

"We would have died." insisted Cole, "The amulet protected them."

"Which is exactly why I want it." replied Raynor coldly, "What has happened to you, Belthazor? The witch's magic never would have stopped you before; you never would have given up. What's changed?"

Cole and Raynor locked gazes for a moment before Cole threw up his hands in exasperation. "You know what?" he spat "Let's just drop the pretences, okay? I'm tired of playing games. We both know what you're trying to do, it's not gonna work."

"Yeah?" Raynor spoke confidently but Cole ignored him.

"You don't care about the amulet. You only care about turning me against Phoebe." continued Cole angrily.

"How smart, and yet foolish enough to fall in love." taunted Raynor, smiling mockingly.

"Loving her is the best thing that's ever happened to me." answered Cole honestly, "You can destroy me, but you can't change that."

Raynor stopped smiling and a cold expression appeared on his face, "After all that I've taught you and all that I've given you, you're willing to give it all up for a witch?" he demanded.

Cole nodded at this, "I'm not gonna kill for you, Raynor. Not anymore." he promised.

Raynor raised his eyebrows slightly, still as confident as before, "Not even for your father's soul?" he asked calmly.

A bright glowing sphere appeared in Raynor's hand. Cole gasped, frozen in shock for a moment, then started forward attack Raynor but Tarkin held him back, holding a knife to Cole's throat.

"Settle, brother." he commanded, but the whole of Cole's attention was fixated on the glowing sphere in Raynor's hand that held the soul of his father.

Cole's P.O.V

At that moment it felt like my world had stopped spinning. It felt like time had frozen and I was the only one aware, but I was paralysed by the soft light cast out by my father's soul. It was the perfect bargaining tool I had to admit. No wonder Raynor had been so confident that I would turn; that I would kill for him. A voice in the back of my head was asking me, 'what was one witch compared to my father?' but I tried to ignore it. I needed to get back to reality; back to Phoebe.

Cole blinked, visibly shaking off the immobility that had hit him. "How did you get that?" he asked finally, his voice hoarse, "The Source?"

Raynor smiled coldly, "I'll promise to free him if you've fulfilled your end of the bargain. You kill the witch, come back and finish your obligations, and you and your father will both be free."

Cole hesitated then shimmered out, his face still murderous.

Raynor turned to Tarkin, "All that separates us from getting him back are a few drops of innocent blood, and they're about to be spilled."

Cole's P.O.V

I was faced with an impossible choice; I had loved my father when he was alive but I also loved Phoebe - how could I choose between them? If I killed the witch Phoebe would be lost to me forever; she would never accept me after that and neither would her sisters. Despite this I knew what I had to do. There would be worse consequence than just one soul if I turned back to evil; even if the soul was my father's.

Phoebe was pacing up and down the mausoleum when Cole shimmered in.

"Cole. Surprised to see me?" she asked quietly.

"I hoped" Cole smiled relieved, "but why'd you come after what I did?"

"Because you need me." Phoebe stated simply, "Besides, it's not like you haven't tried to kill me before. A little energy ball isn't going to stop me."

"You know, I didn't have a choice, I didn't mean to hurt you." Cole inwardly pleaded with Phoebe to believe him.

"I know, I know, I know, it's okay." Phoebe assured him, "I just need to get you back to the house, get that potion and you will be safe."

"It's too late for that." Cole whispered, looking at his hand which had turned red with black marks on.

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked. Her eyes widened in horror as Cole briefly changed completely into Belthazor "We have to hurry." she said desperately, heading for the door.

"Maybe I should shimmer us there." suggested Cole.

"You can't use your demonic powers, it's too much temptation. We'll just drive there."

Phoebe's P.O.V

We were running out of time; Cole was running out of time. The demon inside of him was trying to take over but I refused to let it. I wasn't going to lose him. My heart almost bled for Cole when he shimmered in; he was scared, I could see it in his eyes. He didn't want to give in but he was weakening. We had to hurry.

Jenna, the witch the Charmed One's were protecting from the Brotherhood, added the final ingredient to the power-stripping potion and watched as the potion turned blood red.

"It's ready." she called softly to Leo. Cole looked up, catching his breath when he saw the potion that would prevent him from turning evil.

The moment was shattered when suddenly, without warning, Raynor shimmered in and threw an energy ball at Leo. Leo was flung backwards into the wall and fell to the ground, unconscious. Jenna gasped and held out the amulet protectively.

"Leave her out of this, Raynor." spat Cole.

Jenna looked defiantly at Raynor, "I serve with every breath, even my last." she told him.

Raynor smiled coldly, "I'll have to take you up on that. But I think I'll save that pleasure for my brother." he commented.

Raynor threw another energy ball, this time at Jenna. The amulet protected her, but she was still thrown backwards into some boxes. Jenna fell to the floor and the amulet fell off, spinning through the air until it hit the wooded floorboards.

Hearing the noise from downstairs, Phoebe ran to the top of the stairs and tried to open the door but Raynor had blocked it.

"Cole?" she called out desperately banging on the door.

Raynor turned to Cole. "I've come to take you home." he stated

"I am home." replied Cole defiantly

Cole's P.O.V

He wasn't going to take me back. I was home; I was with Phoebe and nobody or nothing was going to take me away from her. I would fight Raynor as much as it took; even until the end.

"Cole!" Phoebe yelled again with even greater urgency.

Ignoring her Raynor continued, "You will be home when you kill the witch. Stop fighting it, Belthazor. You're a demon. Embrace it. Let evil make you strong again, give into it."

"Cole? Leo?" called Phoebe again, uselessly pulling on the door.

Raynor locked eyes with Cole, "The rage in you is raising but it's not me you want to kill. It's her." he told Cole, "Do it, do it for yourself." he hissed

"No." stated Cole again but less strongly this time.

Cole's P.O.V

I could feel the demon inside of me screaming for blood. The lust to kill was so strong I didn't think I could bury it any more. I could feel myself slowing slipping; slowly being pulled back down in evil's grasp. My resolve was weakening.

"Cole, open up the door, let me in." pleaded Phoebe, turning to her sisters who had come up beside her.

Prue tried to use her power on the door, but it only opened a little bit. Phoebe put her head by the crack and tried to see into the room.

"Is she really worth sacrificing your father's soul for?" Raynor asked, playing his final card.

Cole's P.O.V

Something inside of me snapped then. Phoebe's shout of "Cole, no, don't do it." echoed meaninglessly around my head. I had let go; my hold was broken and I was falling. The ground was rushing up to meet me; the darkness was engulfing me; I had lost; I hadn't been strong enough; the evil inside of me had consumed me. I yelled at the top of my voice, letting out all my anger and rage which had built up inside of me. I was Belthazor again; I was free; no ties; no rules; free. It felt good; it felt right. I was back to being myself again. I summoned an energy ball liking the feel of importance it gave me.

The instant I let it fly I felt myself being grounded again. All the buried evil I had had inside of me had been expended. I found myself again in time to see Jenna die, to see Raynor shimmer out and to see Phoebe's heartbroken eyes fill with disgust.